Joe Rogan thinks winning should be a priority over entertainment in the UFC.
Farid Basharat (16-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was released by the UFC after he completed his four-fight deal in a win over John Garza at UFC 329 in July. The ranked and undefeated bantamweight received plenty of support when he spoke out about his disappointment with the UFC opting not to re-sign him.
The 29-year-old also has Rogan's support, who doesn't like the direction the UFC is going after letting go of ranked contenders such as Basharat and Michael Page.
"People want everything to be chaos and blood, like, you know that dude who just got cut, Farid Basharat," Rogan said on a recent episode of his "Joe Rogan Experience." "Undefeated and got cut, and the last time I talked to him
was inside the octagon. It was his last fight. I was like, 'I’m sure you're going to get another contract.' I think I said that to him in the octagon because he was saying it was his last fight. He's undefeated. I don't like that. I don't like that thinking that you have to be uber exciting. The guy is very skillful, obviously. He's undefeated and they just decided that they didn't like his style. I didn't talk to Dana (White), Hunter (Campbell) or Sean Shelby. I don't know what happened, but I didn't like it. I don't like it when a guy gets cut that wants to keep fighting in the UFC, he's undefeated, just because you think he's boring.
"Well put him in with someone who's f*cking exciting. Put him in with someone who pushes him and makes it a crazy fight. If a guy is fighting and winning, you keep fighting and you keep winning. Are we saying that Khamzat (Chimaev) can't fight in the UFC anymore because of the Dricus (Du Plessis) fight when he won the title, which a lot of people thought was boring? Man, I don't like that. I don't like guys not getting offered contracts because they don't like their style. Everyone is trying to win. Fights are f*cking complicated and this idea that you're supposed to just be entertaining and put your brain on the line and ignore your skill set, which is to avoid damage and to fight intelligently. ...This is what the game is – it's winning."
Dana White initially said "there's definitely a reason" Basharat was cut, citing being difficult or turning down fights as a potential explanation. Basharat denied White's claim, but the UFC CEO later said that he was giving general examples, and didn't mean Basharat specifically.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Joe Rogan takes umbrage with Farid Basharat's UFC release: 'I don't like that'
